


Over the Rainbow

by muaaimoi



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-23
Updated: 2014-02-05
Packaged: 2017-12-21 02:10:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/894565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muaaimoi/pseuds/muaaimoi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki falls across dimensions and ends up in a very different Midgard. Xander has no idea how the God of mischief ended up living in his basement. He's not really sure he minds though. There will be slash people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The collapse of the rainbow bridge should have killed him. So much chaotic energy, so many doors, opening and closing. He should have been torn apart, his magic should have at the very least been bled dry by the destructive forces he had unleashed. But he was not favored by Yggdrasil for nothing. Magic sang in his veins and fought for his survival.

So it didn't.

In one world, the commotion caught the attention of a dark power. It wrapped Loki around in its magic and pulled him into his galaxy through one of Yggdrasil's passageways.

Loki drowned in his anger, his darkness.

His grief.

He allowed the dark power to twist him into a mockery of his former self. He attempted to take over Midgard. He failed. And found himself locked away.

But in another world. Another branch on Yggdrasil, things went rather... differently.

Loki had always been favored by magic. And magic could be a very funny thing.

So in this world. In this branch of all that is life, all that is death, and all that will ever be either, a door opened.

And it only closed once Loki had fallen through.

x

Xander stared at the portal Buffy had just closed.

It reopened.

The fear and horror didn't even have a chance to fully set in before a body crash landed on the ground and Acathala's maw closed again.

"Buff!" Xander called.

He knew the slayer was long gone. She had been heartbroken and traumatized because her Vampire boyfriend had to be sacrificed to save the world. He didn't blame her for splitting.

He'd wanted to hightail it out of the mansion the second the portal closed as well. It was just that he was only human, and as such he was really, really tired. He'd been kind of hoping to catch his fifth wind before wandering the streets of SunnyDale at night.

Sadly it hadn't been looking like he had that fifth wind in him, and he'd been settling in to wait for dawn when Acathala, for lack better term, burped.

He approached the sprawled body cautiously. Xander half hoped the portal had given Angel 'd looked all soul having by the end there. Willow had managed the whole ensouling thing it seemed. His Wills was learning her way around cauldrons and wands really well. Maybe soul having Angel was too good for hell.

Except that of course he wasn't, because the body on the ground looked nothing like Angel. The horns were a dead give away. Deadboy would never be caught in that get up. And while the guy did look pretty human for someone who'd apparently been ejected by hell, he was dressed like someone from a comic book.

He did look like a pretty boy though. Even with the cuts on his face. The kind of face Buffy and Willow would giggle about excitedly.

Buffy especially.

He really wished she was here actually. Or Oz, Cordelia, Giles especially. Anyone else except Willow, really. She needed to stay in the hospital.

He didn't know what to do. And this definitely wasn't something he'd expected to deal with today. Vampires, demons, the end of the world, he'd been ready for all of that. As ready as hoping he'd survive it all could make him, anyway.

But the whole possibly human, probably demonic guy on the ground? Xander had no idea how he was supposed to deal with that.

Xander wasn't magic boy. Hell, he was barely back up boy. Donut guy was more his speed.

He couldn't do anything if the body on the ground woke up and decided to end the world.

But he could hope against hope that maybe, just maybe Buffy had hung around. That some unknown Slayer magic had alerted her to the whole 'body coming out of the demons mouth after they'd thought they'd closed the portal forever' thing.

"Buffster!" He tried again." Now would be a great time to show up!"

The mansion stayed perfectly, mockingly silent.

"Damn it!" Xander cursed with feeling.

It wasn't like he could just leave the guy there. He was all passed out and stuff. If he wasn't evil and something ate him because Xander had left him on the mansion floor he'd hate himself forever.

"I hate everything." Xander whined mournfully." Why couldn't you crash land awake? Then at least I'd know if I could ditch you without feeling bad about it later."

He so didn't look forward to lugging the guy home in the dawn. But he didn't see another way to get to his bed with a clean conscience.

Sometimes, times like this, when he needed to be in bed yesterday, Xander sort of wished he could be evil. Not a world ending kind of evil. No, more like the okay with kicking puppies, and leaving strangers to possible death kind.

Just sometimes though. He knew he could never be that guy.

And he never would be. So he waited until the sun came up, wrapped an arm around the guy, tossed him awkwardly over his shoulder, and begun his miserable trek home.


	2. Chapter two

Loki wakes to find himself sprawled over a slumbering human.

For a moment, he's simply confused. He can't recall what trick he could have been playing that would require him to take a human to bed.

Then he remembers the rainbow bridge.

Anguish hits him like a physical blow. The tears flow, but Loki doesn't notice them. He feels broken. The grief clouds his head, fills his lungs. Breathing is agony.

Two arms wrap around him and Loki finds himself embraced.

"Hey, um, sorry about breaking the guy code, but it sounds like you could really use a hug." Xander says, hoping the guy isn't about to tear out his spleen and beat him to death with it. But the guy sounded so heartbreakingly miserable, and Xander has never been good about watching other people suffer.

Besides, his best friends are touchy-feely girls, it's second nature to comfort vie huggage.

Loki, drowning in his grief as he is, finds it in himself to feel offended. How dare this human pity him? He reaches for his magic, ready and willing to strike the mortal dead when the sensation of his magic registers.

Magic is weaved into the very fabric of reality. Every time he reaches for it, he's reaching within the confines of his branch of the tree of life. Mapping out and becoming familiar enough with with his plane of existence is part of what gives him the ability to alter it the way he does.

So when he reaches for his magic, he knows-down to the most basic components of his soul- that this is not where he belongs.

This is not his plane. It is not the reality he hails from.

The shock of it saves the mortals life.

" Who are you?" Loki demands, reaching forward and wrapping his hand around the mortals neck.

" Xander, Xander Harris." Xander blurts, wishing it had sounded less squeaky and more like James Bond. But hey, hand on his neck, totally squeaking worthy and so of the bad. Hopefully the guy was just freaking out and not evil and about to kill him.

" What is this place? Where did I land?" Loki shouts, trying to master himself and his panic. He remembers falling. The chaos of the rainbow bridge tearing at his body. The painful horror of it all. It's a miracle he's alive.

The moral flinches slightly, but at least the answers are forthcoming.

" This is my house, and you landed on the floor of a demon portal. I couldn't leave you where you could of gotten eaten! This is Sunnydale!" Xander says, coming to the slow realization that he should have probably taken the guy from a hell dimension to Giles, or at least Oz's werewolf cage, instead of taking him home. In his defense he had been very tired. And carrying the guy had made that worse, it wasn't like he was small, or light. He was kind of impressed with himself that he'd managed it at all." And how do you put that helmet thing on? It took me forever to take it off."

" Where is my helm?" Loki asked slowly. The rage in his eyes come through completely clear.

Xander pointed to the ground. It's not like he'd actually left the room since he'd carried the guy upstairs. He'd basically just keeled over once he was sure the horns wouldn't stab him in his sleep.

" You dare disrespect-" Loki begins threateningly, but he's interrupted by the door slamming open.

Xander can only stare in horror when his dad bursts in, roaring,"Boy, do you know how hungover I am!"

Then the scene he bursts into registers. He watches his dad slowly turn a purple color and it dawns on him that his dad has just walked into Xander being straddled by a guy in a really weird outfit. Xander takes a moment to pity himself. Somehow, he just knows that his parents aren't the 'it's okay to be gay' type. Even if he's not actually gay. There is going to be no convincing them otherwise now.

" You stupid bastards, keep it down!" His mother chimes in, coming up behind his dad and freezing once she sees the guy draped over him.

It only lasts a few second. They start yelling, dual hangovers seemingly forgotten.

"He's a fucking fag!"

" This is all you fault-"

" You're the one with the fruity uncle!"

Loki watches them scream at each other in disgust. This time he ignores the odd sensation of his magic and reaches forward to twist reality. He turns the screeching mortals into rats.

Xander kind of gapes for a moment, disbelieving."Did you just turn my parent's into rats?"

" Vermin should know it's place." Loki says with a wicked smirk.

" Please turn them back." Xander says, faintly."I'd rather not be an orphan right now."

Loki arches an eyebrow at the request. It's clear that the rabid animals he's just turned into a form better suiting their nature are not good parents. If anything, the human should be thanking him for his new freedom.

"They hurt you." Loki says, it's not a question. But he's clearly waiting for an answer all the same.

For a moment, Xander considers lying. It's more habit than anything else. Deny, deny, deny, is the motto he's been taught when asked about how his parents treat him. Technically there's food in the fridge, and a roof over his head. He's fine. They're never gonna win any parenting awards, but it really could be worse.

Then Loki squeezes the hand around Xander's throat in warning. He is not called the Lord of lies for nothing. Lies and deceit are his domain just as much as thunder and lightning are Thors. He has a special gift with them, a knowing that sinks into his bones.

It's why he's always doubted his father's affections. It's why he could never believe he was truly a part of Asgard's royal family. Why he'd never trusted it when his parents called him son. Because he wasn't. Odin had lied to him for a very long time. And some part of Loki had known.

He'd just chosen to hope. He'd been a fool.

Xander babbles, he doesn't know what else to do.

"Sometimes, you know, when they're really drunk, or not drunk enough. But it's really only sometimes. Mostly there's just yelling and name calling. They throw stuff a lot, so I got good at ducking early in life. I get more bruises from patrol. Please turn them back. It's really hard for teenagers to get a job."

Loki stared at the mortal curiously.

"Do you not wish to seek vengeance? They are your parent's after all. Your blood kin. They are supposed to care for you, and yet they abuse you."

"They're my parents. I know they aren't good at the whole parenting thing, but no one deserves to live life as a rat. Not even rats really deserve rat-Dom."

"You... are a fool." Loki says slowly, because the mortal in not lying to him. He really believes his words. Xander Harris is far too kind for his own good. As he'd already shown by bringing Loki into his dwelling without knowing anything about him.

If he'd known what he was bringing home with him, Loki's sure Xander Harris would have left him where he landed.

" Well yeah." Xander agrees," ..everybody knows that. I could totally do the court jester thing. It's like a fact of life. Buffy's strong, Willows smart, and I'm an idiot."

Loki found himself snorting.

" And what would I gain should I turn them back? At least this form assures me of their silence."

Xander blinks at the guy, he knows he's going to regret this, but it's not like he has a lot of choice in the matter." What do you want."

" My name is Loki, prince of Asgard. And you will take me to the site in which you found me."

He does, after all, have vengeance to enact. Foolish mortals are of very little consequence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is still happening. Hope you guys like it.


	3. Chapter 3

Xander takes Loki to Acathla. Of course he does. He chases his parents into an old birdcage he'd seen a few times in the basement first though. He hopes it'll hold, he doesn't know what would happen if he lost them. Rats don't look terribly different from each other. While he doesn't think he would particularly miss his parents, not really, not with the way they treat him, there's no way he can leave them ratted. Especially not when its his fault they got that way. He tries not to think about what'll happen after. Once Loki turns them back. Tries not to wonder if he'll still have a house to go back to if they remember anything they'd seen before they became rats.

He tries to focus on the guy next to him instead. It's surprisingly easy, even walking next to Loki on the way over is an experience all by itself. The guy didn't look like a demon. He looked perfectly human actually, and if it wasn't for the magic, or the clothes, Xander is pretty sure he would have thought Loki was like a model or something. It was weird. Weirder still because Xander couldn't actually take his eyes off him. He'd magically disappeared his helmet at some point, and Xander was just hit with how attractive he was all over again. His hair was long, sorta wavy, and deep black. His eyes were so green Xander couldn't think of anything to compare them with. Not without sounding like one of those love-sick girls after some celebrity. It's almost embarrassing, Xander was no stranger to noticing how attractive other guys were, they were the competition, kind of, sort of, and he spent way too much time listening to Buffy and Willow rate guys. It's not new exactly, except for the part where Xander is mostly confused by how fascinating he finds Loki, that part was definitely new. Even the guy's walk was interesting.

Xander has never noticed the way someone walked before. Or at least, he'd never noticed himself noticing. But the way Loki does is so different from anything else he's ever seen before. At first he'd thought it was a little like Cordelia's 'I-am-your-queen-worship-me' strut, all fierce confidence. But then something about the ease of his steps reminded him of the way Buffy moved when ever they were stalking fledges. Sinuous, dangerous and deliberate. Xander almost can't believe it's making him think so many big words. But the gist of it was that Loki was a big deal. He'd called himself a prince, and he certainly acted like one. There was no sign of the broke man Xander had held in his arms not a full hour ago.

So maybe that's what held his attention. The mystery of what turned the proud prince beside him into a sobbing wreck. And geez, the guys a prince. He's never met anyone royal before, although he's not sure if demon royalty counts. He wonders if whatever made Loki so sad had anything to do with his throne. He has the vague idea that royals are usually horrible to each other from somewhere. Sadly it's not like he can just ask. He's pretty sure Loki will kill him for real if he gets the slightest whiff of pity. Xander is better off keeping his sympathy to himself. Same with his curiosity. Even though he can't help it.

There's even something about the name. Loki, like the god of mischief or something? Xander isn't sure, but he's pretty sure he has read something about him in some of Giles books. Viking myths he thinks, it might have been god of chaos instead, actually. Or maybe both, could he be both? They did sound pretty similar, totally the kind of thing that could go hand in hand. He forces the thought away when they finally come to Angels mansion. Xander hovers by the door for a moment."You know you came out of a portal right?"

Loki's scowl is terrifying and impressive."It was a possibility I considered, yes."

"It's kind of not there anymore."Xander warns. Experience has already taught him that it's best not to take Loki by surprise. It's weird to think it's something his parents have legitimately taught him, even if it wasn't their intention. Loki's eyes burn into him, scary, and impossibly green.

"What do you know of this portal?"

"It was supposed to suck the world into hell?"Xander offers. He doesn't know the mystical specifics, or much of anything about demons and magic really. All he knows for sure is what happened while he was there. "It was like a few thousand years ago, when he first tried it. Then some hero stopped him with a sword that turned him into stone. And then this crazy vampire called Angelus decided that he wanted that to happen after all, so he figure out how to take out the sword, which apparently got Acathla, that's the name of the world sucking demon, by the way, to start the whole sucking thing again. So then Buffy, the Slayer, and my very good friend, someone capable of avenging me if you killed me, just so you know, totally killed him, closing the portal and sent him to hell. Then Acathla sort of-burped? I guess, and you landed on the floor. You look pretty human, and I wasn't sure what you were. I couldn't leave you on the floor to get eaten or sacrificed or something, so I took you home."

"You shouldn't have."Loki barks a laugh, a sound that's not entirely sane, and declares,"I am a god. There is nothing in your realm capable of causing me true harm."

Before storming through the door. Leaving Xander to gape behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umm, so writing this is going a lot harder than I thought? Sorry.


	4. Chapter 4

Loki is displeased. Or rather, enraged. The anger rages from somewhere outside himself. In the same place his grief and loathing now reside. He is mostly numb with this knowledge. At a loss for what he is to do with himself now.

He is trapped. Locked inside of this world by the very power he possessed. If not for his current state he would have found himself fascinated by the lock. Intrigued by it's design and it's ability to hold him, a god of all creatures. It seems to use his own power to cage him.

There is irony in this. In the knowledge that he is bound by chains of his own making. But he remembers the All father and thinks that it might be for the best. These chains may not be of his own design, but they are better than the ones the All father had placed before him. The All-father, and yet no father of his, Loki thinks, trembles with the thought, and doesn't know what shakes him, anger or grief. He submerges himself in the numbness again. If given the choice Loki would rather feel nothing at all.

He doesn't know where he went wrong. If he lives the rest of his life in this alternate universe, he may never know. There is an odd comfort to this. The mortal that had led him to this place kicks at some rubble and draws Loki's attention.

"Why have you lingered?" Loki asks.

"Umm, my parents, de-ratting? We had a deal, remember?"Xander says, but Loki can feel the half truth.

He wonders at it. His knowledge of truth has never been so acute. The numbness has cleared his mind quite a bit. Usually he simply knows lies. He's never thought of it as feeling a lack of truth, but his awareness is different now, keener. He can feel it, the way the truth of the mortals words is left wanting. He wonders about it actually. Casts another spell upon the plane of existence he now resides in and finds a dark miasma of energy radiating from a portal nearby. It bears investigating.

Soon enough.

"And?" He asks, meeting the mortals eyes. The panic he finds there is amusing. The mortal is amusing, with so much kindness, and heart, yet his body is twitching like prey that understands it has caught the attention of a predator, but dares not run lest it invite them to chase. He is a good distraction from Loki's darker thoughts.

"And what?" The mortal squeaks."It's true!"

"I am aware of that. Just as I am aware that it is not the whole of it."

The mortals scowls for a moment, the expression faltering as he bites anxiously at his lips."I wanted to make sure you weren't going to do anything evil."

Loki laughs, finds the sound torn out of him. A completely different plane and his intentions have already been called into question. He cares not for this land, his only intention is to leave it. And still, even a mortal as kind as Xander Harris thinks the worst of him.

"And if I intended to destroy this world, to subjugate it to my will, and make you all kneel at my feet. Do you truly believe you could stop me?"

"I know I couldn't." The mortal surprises him by replying."I'd try, even if it wouldn't get me anywhere. Especially since you're a god or whatever that's supposed to mean. I don't even think you're like hardcore evil or something. It's just, you got here through a demon portal. That's pretty much always bad. And even if you're just trying to get back to wherever you're from, for all I know that means you have to kill a bunch of people, and I'd try to stop you from doing that too."

Loki eyes the mortal, considers the truth behind his words, it is almost all of it, but there is still a gnawing sliver missing from the truth.

"And?"

The mortal stares at him incredulously for a moment. Then heat floods his cheeks and he slowly admits,"You're interesting."

Loki can only feel his amusement grow as the statement finally rings completely true. Such a kind fool. His parent's are rather fortunate that Loki always keeps his word. Even if others don't often see it that way. He wonders at his words though.

"Demon portals are common here?"

Xander shrugs."I'm not really magic guy. I mean, this is the first portal to hell thing I've dealt with. But I only really find stuff out by the time we have to deal with it really. I know were on a hellmouth and that's like a leaking portal I think? It makes Vampires breed like bunnies for sure though. I don't know how many people are gonna die now that's Buffy's gone."

The idea seems to distress the mortal. No doubt he will place himself at the front lines. Desperate to keep others from becoming hurt. It reminds him vaguely of the few good memories he had with Thor. Back before they had begun their Asgardian training in earnest. Thor hadn't been strong then, neither of them had been. But Thor had always done his best to protect him. Like a good brother should.

He barely registers the emotional wound that follows the thought. What is more grief and pain on top of the ocean of feeling the numbness is barely holding at bay? Thor is no brother of his. He is a frost Giant. A monster. And there is no going back for him. And yet this mortal, a mortal who cared so freely for others had been kind to him. Despite the high chances of Loki obliterating him. He had come close several times and yet here the mortal stayed. Found Loki 'interesting' even. When was the last time anyone or anything had taken notice of him in what might actually be called a positive way? He could even led the mortal a hand if he so chose. Keep him from sacrificing himself on the altar of others safety.

"What are these Vampires, exactly?"He had a lot of emotion to work through regardless. He could already feel his rage wearing away at his numbness. Sometimes Violence is the best kind of Tonic for the soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's apparently easier for me to write Loki? I dunno.

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm posting this because Loki is all over my dash. I take no responsibility for my actions. Hope you enjoy it at least... Also, Xander and Loki will be gay for eachother in this, general warning, if it's not your cup of tea.


End file.
